In a New Interview, Donald Trump Left the Door Open to Firing Special Counsel Robert Mueller

I can't remember the last time I picked up my phone and it didn't have a push alert from a major newspaper that made me question the very fabric of American democracy, and today is no exception. In a wide-ranging interview with The New York Times, which is a crazy dependent clause considering all the times that Trump has attempted to silence the paper by besmirching its name, Trump did the exact opposite of what the professionals in his administration have surely been begging him to do. Namely, move on from the Russia story and try to put it behind them. Instead, Trump stirred up controversy and left the Times with a handful of quotes that seemed designed to make the Russia story as front and center as possible for countless more news cycles.

The first point in the interview that stood out is the idea that Donald Trump resents Jeff Sessions for recusing himself on the Russia investigation, and goes so far as to say that had he known that Sessions would step aside on this issue, that Trump would have picked someone else. This is a way of saying, "If you weren't going to blindly give me cover for my wrongdoing, then what's the point of hiring you?" Which should go over well with the attorney general.

Mr. Trump never said he would order the Justice Department to fire Mr.
Mueller, nor would he outline circumstances under which he might do
so. But he left open the possibility as he expressed deep grievance
over an investigation that has taken a political toll in the six
months since he took office.

Asked if Mr. Mueller’s investigation would cross a red line if it
expanded to look at his family’s finances beyond any relationship to
Russia, Mr. Trump said, “I would say yes.” He would not say what he
would do about it. “I think that’s a violation. Look, this is about
Russia.”

It's entirely unsurprising that the Trump camp would hint at a possible Mueller departure. That's what happens when an investigator gets close to a subject's problems and that subject decides that "blow it all up" is preferable to "boy, this would look shady if we blew this up now." Because on some level, no matter how many stories about Russia and their interference that we see, Trump's unwavering belief in himself and his own inability to make a mistake carries the day. And Mueller? Well, he didn't say anything, because he was too busy being a professional who is focused on doing his job. The president could learn a thing or two, but we all know that won't happen.

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